The Effects of Climate Change on Hispanic and Latinx Communities

Racism & Climate Change
-Series Editor Robin Cooper, MD

United States Hispanic/Latinx communities comprise a people made up of many different cultures, countries of origin, migration trajectories, social classes, ages, and genders, among other characteristics. As of the 2010 Census, there were 50.5 million Hispanics in the United States, representing 16% of the total population, and by 2060, population projections indicate that 29% of the US population will be Hispanic. However, Hispanic/Latinx heterogeneity shapes different patterns of environmental injustice. Migration history, socio-demographics, and acculturation are critical features that have influenced environmental injustice patterns in the US.

Mass migration and population displacement from Central America and the Caribbean are among the most profound impacts of climate change. As climate change is making extreme weather events more common, we are seeing more vulnerable Hispanic/Latinx leaving their home countries. This is the result of a combination of factors, including lack of work, food, and shelter, all of which are in part due to the degradation of local ecosystems. The Pentagon has recognized climate change as a threat multiplier, with the potential to exacerbate not only environmental degradation, but also unstable governmental structures that can ultimately add pressure to the more obvious current drivers of migration, including gang violence, political upheaval, and corruption.

Climate change has had a profound effect on agriculture in Central America.

#globalwarming #climatechange #carboncompensation #bluesky #climateemergency #climatecrisis #blueskye #blueskyefoundation #compensate #greentechexchange #zerocarbon #climatenews #blueskyelife #elonmusk #billgates #greentech #nasa #nasaclimate #greenfacts